Dustin McLaughlin

When Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in July 2016, the show's soundtrack single-handedly rekindled the public's love of spooky sounds created with vintage synthesizers. Scored by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of Austin-based band Survive, the duo predominantly used synths like the Arp Odyssey, Roland SH-101, Korg Mono/Poly to create the sounds of Hawkins and the Upside Down. Instead of recreating the Stranger Things score with similar synthesizers, I had the idea to build it from scratch using some of my favorite guitar pedals. By using only a Meris Ottobit Jr., Meris Mercury7 and Electro-Harmonix Synth 9, I was able to get something extremely close to the sounds of Dixon and Stein's original theme.   Continue reading →

As technology advances and styles change, musicians are always looking for inspiration and new ways to push the limits of their sound. It’s not uncommon to see a guitar player with a mono-synth on stage, same as you might see a keyboard player with a fully loaded pedal board. Luckily for both types of players, the Hologram Electronics Dream Sequence exists as one of the most inventive and feature laden effects of the past 10 years. Continue reading →

After spending his formative years learning the trade at ZVEX Effects, Joel Korte started Chase Bliss Audio and created his first original pedal, the chorus/vibrato pedal aptly titled Warped Vinyl. Now five pedals deep into his line, Joel Korte has established a dedicated fanbase of freaks and geeks that crave something far beyond your run of the mill, 2-knob modulation pedal. In 2015, Chase Bliss released a through-zero flanger/modulation box called the Spectre, which was met with rave reviews. However, a common inquiry that Joel received pertained to the level of white noise when engaging the effect. As development for his next pedal, the Tonal Recall pressed on, Joel heard his customers loud and clear and revisited the noise issue on the Spectre with the Blue Knob Mod, thus bringing it down significantly. Continue reading →

Strymon has added another wildly anticipated stompbox to their prestigious catalog of genius innovations. Meet the Riverside Multistage Drive, a new harmonically rich drive pedal that strives to offer players a wide range of different drive options. Before we get into the real details of the Strymon Riverside, let's talk a little history. Continue reading →

From the Grand Ole Opry to the “Man in Black,” the culture of Nashville’s music scene is in a league of its own. To be dubbed “Country Capital Of The World” is a bold yet durable claim that’s held it’s own weight influencing artists and musicians around the world for decades. Forefathers like Scotty Moore, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed invented the styles of Travis-picking and rockabilly and gave country music its signature style. In the modern era, the torch has been passed to hybrid players like Johnny Hiland, Brad Paisley and Daniel Donato, who continue to raise the bar stylistically and sonically. Continue reading →